FAMU returns to tradition with 20th annual Grape Harvest Festival

After a pandemic hiatus, the Florida A&M University Grape Harvest Festival returns from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 20, at the FAMU Center for Viticulture and Small Fruit Research, 6361 Mahan Drive.

The 20th Annual Grape Harvest Festival is expected to draw more than 2,000 participants who will celebrate family, food, fun, and agricultural discovery to recognize the University’s role as a national leader in viticulture research. This is the first grape harvest festival since 2019.

“The FAMU Grape Harvest Festival is not only one of the highlights of the summer, but it is also one of the most fun, family-friendly, health and wellness promoting events in Tallahassee. We are looking forward to welcoming the community back to the Viticulture Center,” said FAMU first lady Sharon Robinson, honorary chair of the Grape Harvest Festival Committee.

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Featured activities include vineyard trailer rides, wine making workshops, the grape and wine sampling, mobile marine lab, water slides, grape throwing competition, hula hoop competition, live entertainment, the 5K/2K fun vineyard run and walk-a-thon, grape picking, a health fair, and dozens of community exhibitors and vendors.

The opening ceremony will be held at 11 a.m. featuring remarks from President Larry Robinson and Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs Maurice Edington.

In addition to the various family-friendly activities, participants will have an opportunity to tour more than 45 acres of the University’s premier research vineyards. There will also be wine and cheese tasting as well as a wine making workshop.

Of course, the highlight for many festival fans is grape picking. Registered attendees will be provided a 5-pound durable multi-colored bag to venture into the vineyard and pick their own grapes.

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The FAMU Center for Viticulture and Small Fruit Research is recognized internationally for excellence in warm climate grape research and facilitating outstanding academic programs for experiential learning and student training

Founded in 1978 by an act of the Florida Legislature, the Center is the only specialized research program among the 1890 land-grant colleges and universities dedicated to grapes and wine. It is a national leader in muscadine grape research.

By the USDA charter, the FAMU/Viticulture Center maintains the most extensive muscadine grape germplasm collection in the world and is serving as one of the five National Clean Plant Centers for Grapes.

Capitalizing on the close industry-clientele partnership, the economically feasible and accelerated breeding pipeline has allowed only within the last two years to release three new patented American native grape cultivars: ‘Floriana,’ ‘Florida Onyx’ and ‘Blanc du Soleil.’ Viticulture scientists have also focused on the anti-toxins in muscadine grapes.

Tickets, $10, can be purchased on site the day of the event. Festival Parking at the Antique Car Museum, 6800 Mahan Drive.

If you go

What: FAMU’s Grape Harvest Festival

When: 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 20

Where: FAMU Center for Viticulture and Small Fruit Research, 6361 Mahan Drive

Tickets: General admission is $10; free for children under the age of 12 and FAMU students with ID are admitted for free. Onsite registration for 2022 Grape Harvest Festival is available at BIT.LY/FAMUGrapeHarvest22. 

Parking: Antique Car Museum, 6800 Mahan Drive, Tallahassee, will be open at 7:30 a.m., on the day of the event. A complementary shuttle bus to the festival ground is provided every 10–15 minutes. 

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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FAMU Grape Harvest Festival returns tradition to Viticulture center